


Sugar Plum Dreams

by SilverWield



Category: Illthdar
Genre: Couple, Cute story, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 17:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17125244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWield/pseuds/SilverWield
Summary: It's just an ordinary evening in Illthdar for ice elemental, Nyima. Dinner with the local trolls and then riding a giant bear home to talk about constructing an ice palace and having babies with her assassin husband.





	Sugar Plum Dreams

 

The troll village in the Northern mountains was as basic as a place could get. The huts were mottle and daub and carried a faint, rank smell, even with a merry fire burning in the hearth. Tundra couldn't work out what the scent was, but he kept fighting to keep a straight face. He and Nyima were invited to dinner with the trolls that night, to give them a break while they were constructing their summer house. He'd argued they could stay in the Order's outpost, but Nyima replied they'd be put to work and would never get time to build it.

“Shame we can't just Elsa this shit and have it done in a day,” Tundra chuckled, as they sat with the rotund, bewjewelled trolls that evening, eating fragrant bowls of stew.

“Who is Elsa?” Nyima replied, gaze focused on a parchment draped in her lap. It was the design for the house and she kept frowning at it.

“Never mind,” he said, seeing he didn't have her attention. “What's wrong?” He nudged her with his shoulder and she looked up at him.

“I'm thinking about how long it will take to build into the side of the mountain. It's not difficult climbing up, but the ice is very hard.” Her right hand moved to touch her thigh, where a long scar was situated.

He was surprised she wanted to build a house there at all, considering what happened. _Leigong showed up at the worst time to pull me back to Oto. I left Nyima to the birds of paradise._ She was lucky to escape with a few scars and a damaged shoulder. _The mental scars must be worse._ He took her hand and squeezed it. “We don't have to stay here. We can pick a different mountain. As long as it's cold, right?”

She shook her head. “No. I want to get rid of the dangers around here.” She smiled at him and added, “I don't want to be tied down by bad things from the past.”

He raised her hand, turned it and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Whatever you want.” He held her gaze until she blushed. The sapphire shade washed over her light-blue cheeks and crept down her neck. His single, sky-blue eye followed its path and he leaned over to murmur a repeat of, “Whatever you want.”

“Jingyi,” she reprimanded in a soft voice, light-blue eyes darting to their hosts.

The trolls were watching them with amusement and interest. “Don't mind us,” the chief chuckled, spooning up some more stew. “It's an honour to host newly weds.” He leaned forward across the low table and said in a confiding tone, “It's good luck to get blessings from Hjalmar.”

A female troll sitting beside him, bedecked in thick layers of gold and jewels, rolled ochre-coloured eyes. “When you talk about yourself in the third person like that you sound like an idiot.”

Hjalmar sat back and laughed, his large stomach jiggling. “It didn't stop you from marrying me! See, I am blessed!”

Tundra tried not to smirk and failed. “I didn't realise she was his wife,” he said to Nyima, still close enough that he didn't have to raise his voice. Her hand was still held in his and he rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of it.

Her posture relaxed and she edged closer to him. “They are wearing matching jewels,” she replied, indicating the blue-green stones fixed over the couple's belly buttons. She had a mad moment when Vyxen's voice intruded in her train of thought asking, _“Do they even have belly buttons under there? Find out for me! I need to know, for science!”_ Nyima stifled a laugh and shook her head.

“Guess matching is the thing for marriage,” Tundra commented in her ear. He ran a finger over the tattoo adorning her left arm, tracing the swirls and dots that were identical to the one he had.

“How long do you think construction will take for your home? Will you be living here all year round?” Hjalmar interrupted and Tundra couldn't help but scowl.

“The Order has cleared part of the area of boreal snakes and aviwoad,” Nyima replied, smiling with satisfaction. She'd been part of the team that took out the nests and didn't feel bad one bit about killing the demon birds or venomous snakes. “We are waiting on the dwarves and other earth fae to arrive and dig into the mountain for us.”

“That sounds like a big job. We could help with that,” Hjalmar's wife said, elbowing her husband.

“Ah, yes, we could do that,” he agreed, beaming at her and pinching her cheek. “It's an elaborate design you have, so is it to be your permanent home?”

Tundra realised they were fishing for info about who their local protectors would be. “Half the year, or so. During the summer it's too hot to stay in Las, so we'll be around then.”

“That's wonderful!” Hjalmar clapped. His wife sighed and rolled her eyes, then joined in, encouraging the other two trolls with them to do so, too.

“We can offer you a hut in the meantime while you're building,” she said, gesturing around them.

Tundra's face became impassive. The hut wasn't the worst place he'd stayed in, but the smell made him want to wash until his skin was raw. His heart sank when Nyima thanked them. His grip on her hand tightened and he hoped that's as far as she'd take the offer.

“That's kind of you. We have one near to the mountain. Today was a visit. We will be neighbours, after all,” she said, wiggling her hand so Tundra relaxed his grip. She had no idea what he had a problem with, but she didn't like the idea of broken fingers. “Thank you for the meal,” she added, getting up.

“Yeah, we should head back before we can't see the path,” Tundra said, bolting the last of his stew. “I didn't realise how dark it got up here.”

“It's night. It would be dark everywhere,” Hjalmar's wife said, frowning. She clambered to her feet and showed them out. “Be careful. Even though the aviwoad nest is gone, there are still dangers.”

“We're cool,” Tundra replied, slinging a casual arm around Nyima, who shrugged it off. He cleared his throat. “We'll be fine.”

“Thank you for the supplies,” she said, taking Tundra's hand. They reached the border of the village, where they'd left Nyima's ursidae, Atah. She looked at him and said, “Why were you trying to break my hand?”

“I didn't want to stay in the village,” he said, looking embarrassed. “I think they used dung to build their huts.”

Nyima hummed. “They might have.” She closed the gap between them, then slapped him on the arm. “You're being rude.”

“I know,” he shot back, scowling. “I kept thinking about how I'd wake up smelling like that smell and it'd never come out.”

She laid both hands on his shoulders, chuckling. “If that happened I would throw you into that hot springs you love so much.”

His eyebrow rose at that. “Not a bad idea. How far away from it are we?”

Nyima rolled her eyes and turned to check Atah's saddle was secure. Once the bear started running they'd cover the distance between the village and mountain in a couple of hours.

Tundra slid his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You sure you're happy doing this?”

“I should ask you that,” she replied, leaning into him. “You prefer missions.”

“The outpost's close by, but maybe you should try and keep me entertained.” He nuzzled her neck and added, “It's your job, since you're my wife.”

“And have been for some time,” she replied, rolling her eyes. Hjalmar thought they were newly weds, but they'd been married for three years already. Both senior Acolytes for the Order of Mana, they were sent out on field missions a lot. Nyima supposed if they condensed their time together it would read that they'd been married for one year, instead of three. It reached a point where they both wanted to slow down and take some time off. With summer approaching, neither wanted to be in Las for the coming heatwave. Tundra suggested the Northern mountains, where they could stay in the outpost. Nyima made a better one of building a summer house they could retreat to whenever they needed a break. She was also quietly hoping that some day it would become a family home for them, but she'd not broached the topic with him yet.

 

~*~*~

 

Tundra yawned and stretched, using the action to yank his tunic off at the same time. The trip home was quiet and uneventful. Atah was settled in her own hut beside theirs and now they were readying for bed. There was a weird atmosphere between them. He wondered if it had something to do with the trolls, but she seemed fine, and he hadn't done anything between then and now to upset her. “Do we need to talk?”

“Hmm? Why?” Shaken from whatever deep thoughts she was having, Nyima turned to look at him. Her gaze sharpened as she did a slow sweep down and up.

“My eye is here,” he joked, pointing to the remaining one he had. The demon essence hibernating in his left eye socket didn't count. He kept his eye from wandering over her in return, since she'd been wearing the lace babydoll and panties as outerwear the whole evening.

Pale blue cheeks darkening, Nyima said, “Talk about what?”

Tundra shrugged, noting how she grew fixated on his muscular shoulders. “You tell me. Is something bothering you?”

She began pleating the edge of the yellow babydoll, folding a corner of the fabric over on itself. “I – yes,” she said, looking up and nodding. “There is something I wanted to talk about.”

He shrugged again, smirking at how the action drew her gaze. “Shoot.”

“I don't think now is the right time,” she said, turning and climbing onto the bed. It was a block of ice covered in masses of furs and far more comfortable than people assumed.

Tundra was the one fixated this time. He didn't even blink, as he watched Nyima crawl up the bed. “You're sleeping in that?” he commented in a low voice. She usually slept naked, so clothes meant she was mad at him or she had her period.

“Hmm?” She looked down and tutted. “I forgot.” The babydoll and panties were off in a moment and dropped on top of a trunk on her side of the bed.

Tundra turned his back and sat down to take his boots and trousers off. It also gave him a minute to replay the rapid floor show she treated him to. Still, he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt her hand on his back. Even after three years of marriage she expected her ice cold touch to hurt, so held back from doing it. That made all the times she offered affection more memorable to him. The hand slid up and was joined by the other as she hugged him from behind. He could feel her breasts pressing up against him and her rapid breaths in his ear. He slid a hand back and cupped her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Is this what's bothering you?” he teased.

“I want a baby.”

His whole body felt like it froze solid. “Oh.”

Nyima sighed and withdrew. “I knew that's how you'd react. I shouldn't have said anything.” She lay down and pulled a bunch of furs up over her, even though she'd end up baking hot because of them.

_A baby? She wants a baby? With me? Or does she expect me to go out and steal one? No, don't be stupid._

“Pretend I didn't say anything,” she said, voice muffled.

“Fuck that,” he shot back, interest spiking at the hint of a challenge. He climbed into bed and pulled the fur off her. “You can't just drop a bomb like that and expect no conversation.”

“It doesn't matter.” She sat up and brushed her dark-blue braids back. “You were afraid. You don't want any,” she said with sad resignation.

“Fuck that,” he repeated, looking her in the eye. “It's just I––” he looked away “––don't think you know what you're asking for.”

“I think I do,” she replied, putting her hand on his cheek. It was the left one, so he couldn't feel much, but he appreciated the gestured.

“I could wind up hurting it,” he said, making the strongest point first. His extensive training meant he reacted without thought a lot of the time.

“You won't,” he said, cheering up.

“I haven't said yes,” he pointed out.

“You're arguing with me to have one, so that's yes,” she said, starting to smile.

He chuckled. “How did that happen?”

She pulled him down to her and murmured, “Because you always give me whatever I want.”

 


End file.
